Mountain View Voice

Crime briefs

Cellphone robbery

A woman was robbed of her cellphone in the early hours of Nov. 15 at an apartment in the 2000 block of W. Middlefield Road, police said.

The Mountain View woman was assaulted by a suspect who took her phone at about 1 a.m., according to Shino Tanaka, public information officer with the Mountain View Police Department. The 31-year-old victim declined medical treatment from emergency responders.

Police have a suspect in the case, but declined to give a description of him or her, as the case is under investigation.

Guns stolen

Two handguns, cash and some jewelry were reported stolen from a home on the 100 block of Beatrice Street, police said.

Someone appears to have entered the home through a window, where an in-window air conditioning unit was installed but not strongly reinforced, according to Mountain View Police Department spokeswoman Shino Tanaka.

The two handguns — a .23 caliber and a 9 mm — were taken out of a locked box, she said.

"I would advise that if you have anything like an air conditioning unit, to make sure that the window is secure and boarded up properly, so people can't gain access to the residence," Tanaka said.

Apartment burglarized

Money, handbags and perfume were stolen when an apartment located at 440 Moffett Blvd., was burglarized.

Someone reporteredly broke into the apartment sometime between 4 a.m. and 3 p.m. on Nov. 15 when the resident was away at work, according to Shino Tanaka, public information officer with the Mountain View Police Department.

All of the doors to the apartment were locked, Tanaka said. The burglary, or burglars, appear to have entered the home through a window that was closed but not locked.

Car break-ins

Two cars were broken into in the parking lot of the Mountain View YMCA at 525 Hans Ave.

Both break-ins occurred between 9 p.m. and 10 p.m. on Nov. 18, according to Shino Tanaka, public information officer for the Mountain View Police Department. Both victims had entered the YMCA.

In both cases, windows were smashed and the items stolen were visible to anyone looking into the vehicles from the outside, Tanaka said. One victim had her purse stolen. Another victim had his laptop taken.

Tanaka said police can't be sure at this point whether it was the same culprit that broke into both cars. However, she said the "motive seems to be the same" in both cases.

"It's always best to take your stuff with you if you can," Tanaka said, referring to people who leave valuables in their cars. If you can't take your items with you, Tanaka said, do your best to keep them out of sight — under a seat or in the trunk. When concealing items, she added, "be aware of your surroundings" and look out for people who may be watching you.

Some thieves observe drivers as they park, watching to see if they put valuable items under their seats or in the trunks of their vehicles, she said.

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